While the sweet potato is baking, cook the quinoa and
barley in separate pots until soft, about 30-60 minutes (barley takes a
little longer).

3.Once the sweet potato
is baked and cooled a little, combine it with the garbanzo beans, parsley,
cumin, salt and pepper, garlic powder, flour, and ½ TBLSP of the olive oil in a
food processor or blender. You don’t have to make complete mush of it, but it
should be heading toward smooth. There shouldn’t be any obviously identifiable
lumps in there.

Mix the bean mixture with the quinoa and barley in a
small bowl.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan on medium
heat. Place two heaping spoonfuls of the bean mixture onto the hot pan,
and use the back of the spoon to pat them flat and form four-inch diameter
patties. Brown both sides of each burger. This may require several flips.

Serve
on a bun with accoutrements, if you’d like, or broken up into salads, etc.

Monday, July 28, 2014

You'll be glad that this recipe makes a little more than a single serving. I shared the raspberry version (made in a small casserole) with two friends and ate one of the cherry versions yesterday and the other today. It's just right for a post-rehearsal treat!

Makes a small single-serving casserole-sized tart or two
ramekins.

For the Crust:

1/3
cup raw almonds

½ cup
pitted dates

Pinch
of salt

For the Raspberry Sauce:

¼ cup
fresh raspberries

2
teaspoons powdered sugar

For the Chocolate Filling

½ cup
raw cashews, soaked for 15 minutes in water

1
TBLSP maple syrup

2
TBLSP water

2
pitted dates

2
TBLSP coconut oil

1
TBLSP unsweetened cocoa powder

A dozen
or so fresh raspberries for decoration

Line a single-serving-sized casserole or two ramekins with
parchment paper. This may be a nice art project for you, as parchment paper
doesn’t come in little ramekin shapes. You might try only lining the bottom and
thoroughly spraying the sides with cooking spray. It won’t come unstuck quite
as well, though, and you'll have to go around the edges with a paring knife.

Set the cashews to soaking before you begin anything else,
and they’ll be ready when you need them.

To Make the Crust:

Place almonds, dates, and salt in a blender or
food processor and pulse until it’s a sticky mass.

Press the dough into the ramekin bottom and up
the sides. The sides don’t need to be completely covered, but make sure that
the bottom is.

For the Raspberry Sauce:

Put raspberries and powdered sugar in the
blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth, although there will still be
seeds.

To Make the Filling:

Place cashews, maple syrup, water, dates,
coconut oil, and cocoa powder in the blender or food processor. Pulse until the
mixture is smooth.

To Assemble the Pie:

Pour the Raspberry Sauce into the bottom of the
nut/date crust. Completely coat the bottom.

Pour the chocolate filling into the ramekin,
making sure that it goes all the way to the sides but doesn’t climb above the
top of the sides of the crust. The Raspberry sauce will try to escape, so keep
a stern eye on it.

Top the chocolate filling with fresh
raspberries.

Refrigerate for four hours or overnight, until
the filling is firm.

Variation:

·Replace raspberries with fresh cherries. In the
filling, increase the chocolate by a teaspoon and add a slosh of vanilla
extract.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

These little spreads make enough to share if you make more than one. They don't really taste like cheese, but the spread like cream cheese and can be as bland or as exciting as you like. I've provided "plain" and three variations. Come up with your own creative variation and tell me about it!

Plain Version

1/3
cup cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

2
TBLSP lemon juice

1
TBLSP olive oil

1
TBLSP water

½
teaspoon salt

Garlic and Green
Onion Version

1/3
cup cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

2
TBLSP lemon juice

1
TBLSP olive oil

1
TBLSP water

½
teaspoon salt

1
clove garlic, smashed or chopped a little

1
green onion, chopped a little

Zest and Cilantro
Version

1/3
cup cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

2
TBLSP lemon juice

1 TBLSP
olive oil

1
TBLSP water

½
teaspoon salt

1
clove garlic, smashed or chopped a little

About
6 TBLSP of fresh cilantro, chopped a little (if you’re anti-cilantro, this
could be basil or some other herb that would turn the cheeze a nice green)

Zest
from a whole small lemon

Caramelized Onion
Version

2
TBLSP olive oil, separated

2
slices yellow or red onion, in a large dice

1
clove garlic, smashed or chopped a little

2
teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/3
cup cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

2
TBLSP lemon juice

1
TBLSP water

½
teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a ramekin with
parchment paper. This may involve some creative time with scissors, or some
smooshing with a cupcake liner. Or both!

For the Plain, Green
Onion, and Cilantro Versions:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food
processor. Run the blender for five minutes!

Place the mixture in the prepared ramekin.

Bake for 25 minutes. It should be golden brown
on the top and firm to the touch.

For the Caramelized
Onion Version:

In a small saucepan, put 1 TBLSP of the olive
oil and the diced onion and sauté at a low heat.

When the onions are about half-way to brown
(about 5 minutes), add the diced garlic.

When the onions and garlic are beginning to turn
brown (about another 5 minutes), add the balsamic vinegar.

Reduce until the onion mixture is just about dry
(perhaps another 5 minutes.

hile the onions are caramelizing, pulverize the rest of the
ingredients. You’ll want to drop the onions in at the last minute so they don’t
get chopped up too small.

Place the remaining ingredients in a blender or
food processor, including the second TBLSP of olive oil. Run the blender for
five minutes! Put the prepared onions into the blender and blend until just
incorporated.

Place the mixture in the prepared ramekin.

Bake for 25 minutes. It should be golden brown
on the top and firm to the touch.

To serve, upend the ramekin and plop the cheeze out onto a
plate. You’ll have to do some paper peeling, but if the cheeze is cooked
through, it should be solid enough for you to maneuver.

Monday, July 21, 2014

You might want to double this recipe--this luscious quick bread is moist and wonderful, and you'll be sorry when it's gone!

¼ cup all-purpose flour
or wheat flour

Dash of salt

Pinch of baking powder

Pinch of baking soda

Big pinch of sugar

1 TBLSP warm almond or soy milk

1 TBLSP soy or coconut yogurt

(optional add-ins include:

¼ teaspoon
garlic powder OR 1 clove, roasted and diced fine

¼ teaspoon
caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon
ground dried rosemary

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon of dried
raisins, chopped OR currents OR other dried fruit made small

1 teaspoon chopped fresh
herbs, such as basil, tarragon, or cilantro)

¼ teaspoon ground
cardamom with ¼ teaspoon crushed lavender blooms

Water

1.Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and
sugar in a small bowl.

2.In another small bowl, combine the almond milk and yogurt.

3.Blend the wet ingredients into the dry until a soft dough is
made. Once it’s well combined, toss in any add-ins (I like garlic powder,
caraway seeds, and dried rosemary).

4.Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it sit in a warm
place for about 1 hour—until there is a skin on the surface.

Tra-la-la.

1.Dust a working surface with flour. Knead the dough for 2-3
minutes.

2.Roll the dough into a ball and flatten it into a roughly oval
shape about 5 inches long. I like to use my knuckles to leave trenches in the
dough.

3.Brush the top of the dough with water. I just use my fingers dabbled
in tap water.

4.Put a heavy skillet with a lid on high heat. Place the naan
on the HOT pan wet-side-down and cover it with a lid. In about 30 seconds, you
should see bubbles forming. It will take a couple of minutes to begin to brown.

5.Pull the bread out, wet the top side, and flip it over in the
pan with a spatula. There should be charred spots when it’s done. If you have a
gas stove, you could pick the bread up with tongs and hold it just over the
flame for the second side. That’s a little closer to traditional.

It's not quite big enough to fold around sandwich fillings, but perhaps you could get yours a little larger. than I did. It would be good with a smear of avocado, some cucumber, and sprouts! (It's also good with nothing at all on it.)

The top picture is of a caraway, rosemary, and garlic powder version with a smear of vegan cream cheese, and the bottom picture is "plain" with almond butter. Yummy!

Thursday, July 17, 2014

It’s cherry season, and after you’ve had your fill of
pies and other sweets, you might be looking for a way to use this luscious fruit
in a more savory way. Try making a compote and putting it over a very
earthy-tasting bean burger to shake up your palate a bit!

If baking the burger, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If frying, oil the pan ever so
slightly.

1.In a food processor, blend the beans,
mustard, green onion, olives, garlic, coriander, cumin, and salt until you have
a chunky purée. Pulse in the oats (or flour). Form the resulting paste into a
patty shape.

2.Heat a small non-stick frying pan
over medium heat and cook the patty SLOWLY for approximately 6-8 minutes on
each side, or until brown. (If you can cover it, all the better.) Alternatively,
place the patty on the prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 30
minutes, flipping halfway through.

Put the olive
oil into a small saucepan. Set the pan on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
Add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot is softened,
about one minute. Add in the salt and pepper.

Add the
cherries and cook, stirring often, until they are warm and begin to give off
their juices, about 2 minutes.

Add the
vinegar, sugar, and the thyme and stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the
heat and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Transfer the compote to a serving
bowl.

I like this sauce over savory things, like
seitan, mushroom burgers, and rice, but it also adds an interesting touch to
vegan vanilla ice cream!

Put the water on to
boil your noodles and veggies. I put ‘em all into the same pot, putting the noodles in first and dropping the
veggies in that take longer earlier than the mushroom and fennel frond-types of
veg. While it’s coming to a boil, you can chop the veggies and prepare the
sauce.

In a blender or food
processor, chop the garlic and ginger with the lemon juice. Once it’s finely
chopped, blend all the rest of the sauce ingredients (maple syrup, tamari,
coconut oil, almond butter, water, and pepper) in there with it. The sauce will
thicken if you pop it into the refrigerator before serving, which is nice. You
can add a little water to thin it, if necessary, before adding it to the noodles.

Drain the noodles and veggies
and put them into your bowl. Pour the sauce over it all and toss to combine
well. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

It's summertime, and there are many wonderful fruits available. For this salad, I used blueberries and pomegranates, but nectarines, strawberries, plums, and other berries are marvelous additions, and you might add a little avocado if you have one handy.

1/3
cup uncooked quinoa

2/3
cup water

1
inch carrot, in small cubes

1
inch cucumber, in small cubes (peel it if you like)

1
radish, in small cubes

1
green onion, diced

4
snap peas, chopped (or a ¼ cup of fresh peas)

¼
cup fresh blueberries

1/8
cup fresh pomegranate seeds

1/8
cup pistachio nut meats

Dressing

2 teaspoons apple
cider vinegar

Juice of one lemon wedge
(about a teaspoon, maybe 2)

½ teaspoon Dijon
mustard

½ teaspoon agave or
maple syrup

A pinch of garlic
powder

A pinch of salt

1.5 teaspoons
grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

½ TBSLP poppy seeds

Rinse
and thoroughly drain the quinoa. Add the quinoa and water to a small pot and
bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover, and cook until the water is all boiled
away. Don’t let it burn! This takes about 10 minutes.

While
the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing and prepare the veggies and fruit to toss
in the bowl.

To
make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk. You may want to
adjust the salt once you’ve dressed the salad.

Put
the quinoa in the bowl with the veggies and toss, then drizzle the dressing
over it and toss again. Can be eaten at room temperature (my favorite) or
refrigerate for a bit.

Monday, July 7, 2014

I really like figs. No really. Not just they're my favorite, but I'm OBSESSED with them. They have a short season, and I make a complete glutton of myself.

But figs are pretty sweet, and you can't just eat sweets all the time, so here's my recipe for a savory little personal tart.

Dough

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt

2 TBLSP shortening or vegan butter

1 ½ TBLSP ice water (or half vodka)

Topping

1
TBLSP olive oil

3 slices of red onion, cut in half or thirds

1 clove garlic, diced finely

3 TBLSP balsamic vinegar

Pinch of sugar (optional)

4 Kalamata olives, sliced into
circles

2 Mission figs, quartered or cut
into eighths

Make the Dough

In a small bowl, combine flour and
salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Then add the
water/vodka and mix until it holds together in a very soft dough. (Vodka is a
pie-maker’s trick. If you use it the crust will be a little lighter. In such
small quantities, though, you may not notice the difference. The alcohol burns
off, so you don’t taste it, but, like the water, it evaporates and leaves
little fluffy openings in the dough.)

Form the dough into a ball. Be
careful not to overwork the dough. Just squish it together until it holds.

On a lightly floured surface, roll
the dough into a 7- or 8-inch circle or square, or just a rough shape. Fold the
edges up and over to make a little ridge to hold the toppings in. It doesn’t
have to be pretty, or round; in fact the more organic the shape of the crust,
the more pleasing the appearance.

Put the crust onto the parchment
paper on which you’ll bake it, and then onto a plate. Stick it in the
refrigerator for an hour or two (overnight is fine). You might want to cover it
with plastic wrap if you have a lot of stinky things in your fridge or you plan
to leave it for longer

Make the Topping

Place the olive oil and onion slices
in a small saucepan, and on a medium or low heat, sauté them until they’re
fairly soft but not quite translucent. Perhaps 7 or 8 minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté until the
onions are translucent.

Carefully (it will splatter) add the
balsamic vinegar and continue to sauté until the liquid is mostly gone. You can
sprinkle in a pinch of sugar if you like, or if your figs aren’t particularly
sweet.

Preheat
your oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble the Tartlet

Put the dough and its parchment paper
onto a baking sheet and slip it into the hot oven for 5 or 6 minutes while you
cut up the olives and figs.

On the now-warm crust, spread the
caramelized onions evenly on the bottom. Scrape in as much of the yummy juice
as you can.

Arrange the figs on top of the onions
in an artful way and then sprinkle the olives on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the
edges of the crust are golden brown, the onions bubbly, and the figs all squishy.

Place a piece of parchment on a baking pan. If
you don’t have parchment, grease the pan or a piece of aluminum foil heavily,
as it will STICK.

1.In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar,
salt, and yeast. Stir in 3 TBSP of water. If the dough is SUPER dry, then add a little more
water and mix again. Go easy.

2.Dump the contents of the bowl out onto a
lightly floured work surface and sprinkle with flour. You may need to add more
flour to make the dough kneadable if it’s too wet or sticky.

3.Knead gently until the dough comes together
into a ball. It'll be very soft and a bit sticky. You only need to knead for 1
or 2 minutes.

4.Add the raisins, and knead a tiny bit more to
incorporate them.

5.On a floured board, roll the dough out as flat
as you can. The shape doesn’t matter much, as you’re going to be rolling the
whole thing up. Just get it as flat as the raisins will let you.

6.Combine the sugar and cinnamon to make the
swirl and sprinkle evenly over the surface of the square. You’ll want a thick
layer to make the swirl conspicuous.

7.Beginning at one end, roll up the dough,
trapping the cinnamon-sugar inside. Flatten and shape the roll back into a
squashed square or rectangle, or fold it and push it around until it makes a
nice bread-slice shape.

8.Place it on the parchment or heavily greased aluminum foil, and
leave the dough in a nice warm place to rise while you preheat the oven to 425
degrees F for about 15 minutes.

9.Bake for 20-25 minutes until darkly golden.

Let
it cool a bit, and then slice lengthwise to see the pretty swirl of cinnamon
and raisins (and so you can have two slices of toast).

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About Me

I've been a vegetarian in some form or other since I was a teenager. I never liked meat (especially red meat), and I won the battle with my mother when I was 17. Now, back then, you have to realize, it was hard to get tofu or other non-animal proteins in a regular grocery store, so although my general health improved (I stopped getting colds and flus, and I gained enough weight to stop looking like a holocaust survivor), I started having digestive problems.

Western doctors knew even less about nutrition than they know now, Mine suggested that I eat chicken or fish about twice a month to keep my body's own enzymes and acids to a decent level, and then stress wouldn't send me into such a miserable zoo of pain. So I did it. It worked pretty well for quite a while. But in 2006, I went vegan, now that it's easy enough to get non-animal proteins.

Now I'm starting a third blog, on vegan cooking for one (or two). It started with coming home from rehearsal and wanting just one cookie. But then it got fun--what else could I make that didn't involve leftovers, or, in the case of baked goods, guilt for eating the whole batch. And I thought I'd share this collection of recipes that I've accumulated.